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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514994">The Protector and the Creator</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinklingpaopufruit/pseuds/twinklingpaopufruit'>twinklingpaopufruit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Atlantis, Darkness, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, M/M, Moana - Freeform, Romance, Tiana - Freeform, Treasure Planet - Freeform, light - Freeform, merida - Freeform, new worlds, post kh3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:41:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinklingpaopufruit/pseuds/twinklingpaopufruit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In order to restore his friends’ hearts, Sora pays a price: he gives up his power over the keyblade and his ability to see his friends. Sora travels through new worlds with the help of Vanitas to return to them and learns that true strength comes from within.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Ienzo/Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), Lea/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is canon divergent from where Sora dies. I did away with the Union X storyline, the master of masters, and Kairi's second death. Maleficent and her box are still present in the storyline but the contents of the box have been altered for my benefit. I have also aged up the characters. Sora is 19 in this prologue. I am going to do my best to make a cohesive storyline that explains unresolved plot points in the actual series while also giving certain characters more depth *cough Kairi.* I'm also going to end this series on a note where Sora's journey fully comes to a close and a close that he fully deserves.</p><p>As such...I hope you enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The tower of Heartless swirls dangerously above them. Their friends are injured and spread across the battlefield as the power of darkness gains strength. Soon a tornado of heartless stands before them, stronger and more powerful than any heartless they've ever encountered before. It's too much for them in their weary state of battling across the worlds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aqua is taken first, then the King, Donald, and Goofy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lea is taken next along with Kairi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face is twisted in pain. Her hand stretches out for him to take, and Sora rushes toward it. He tries to grasp it, but his fingers barely ghost over hers before she's swallowed and killed by the heartless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora collapses to his knees, and a blood-curdling scream pushes out his throat. He folds in on himself, falling to the ground. Riku quickly sprints to him, and Sora can feel all his morale shattered to pieces at his friends' deaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tells Riku this, "... they're gone forever. What do we do?" He looks up at Riku, searching for answers. Riku always knows. He can confide in him for everything. His best friend releases a breath of surprised air and stares at him. "Without them, I...all my strength came from them. They gave me all of it. Alone. I'm worthless." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of them, the tornado of heartless grows more active and inches toward them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's no winning now. "We've lost. It's over." Sora breathes in defeat. Tears run down his cheek, and he can't help but openly sob. His heart is palpitating painfully against his chest. For a moment, he wonders if it's powerful enough to beat out of his own body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sora, you don't believe that," Riku states, breaking him out of his thoughts. "I know you don't." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku stands and walks away from him, heading toward the swarm of heartless. He holds his keyblade tall, shoulders pushed back and head high. The heartless immediately set their sights on him. Riku yells as he breaks through the incoming swarm and parts the darkness in two, shielding Sora from their clutches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora pushes up to his knees and watches with disbelief and a surge of </span>
  <em>
    <span>love. Riku is always willing to risk it all for him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>However, even Sora can see that Riku is no match. The heartless push him back and soon engulf him, destroying his body and heart. Riku is the last thing Sora sees as the darkness takes him too. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And so, as foretold, darkness prevailed and light expired. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora wakes up feeling light and heavy all at once. He sits up and surveys his surroundings. Water and sky are beneath his feet and over his head. Clouds brush against his exposed calves, and the touch is airy and hot. He doesn't understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where am I?" He breathes into the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dizzily, he stands to his feet and walks. Wherever he has landed seems vast and endless. The scenery doesn't change, and he can't keep track of how long he's been walking. He stops for a moment as he tries to piece the moments leading him here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, a bright ball of light shines from within him. Sora takes a step back in shock, and the light expels out of his body. He scrutinizes the light. It hovers in front of him for a moment, and then it's light expands. It blinds him, and Sora shuts his eyes. When the light no longer burns across his eyelids, Sora hesitantly opens them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of him stands a figure, the same height as him. They're strangely dressed. There's a white silk hood lined in gold covering the figure's face and a white cowl over their neck up to their nose. The cowl hangs down their upper chest and spreads and breaks into two long heavy trains of silk. The rest of their body is covered in fitting white armor. A golden heart is printed along their chest and is surrounded by other intricate gold designs along their shoulders, hands, and knees.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure gently lands on the ground beside Sora. They tilt their head and then remove their hood and cowl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora gasps as a spitting image of him, greets him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello, Sora," The figure greets. The voice, thankfully, doesn't sound like him. The sound resonates and feels like it carries the weight of all the voices in the universe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who are you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am Light," The figure responds. "It's nice to officially meet you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Light?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If it's easier for you to comprehend, my real name is Lampiad."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why do you look like me? Where are we?" Sora has more questions, but those are the first that crosses his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A human image is easier for your brain to comprehend. I can change it if you wish? Would you prefer I look like one of your friends?" Lampiad smiles, and then the spitting image of Kairi in the same outfit is in front of him. The image distorts, and then it is Riku and then Roxas, and then quickly they shift to Donald, Goofy, and then back to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's fine," Sora mutters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad smiles and then calmly answers his second question, "This is the Final World."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's the Final World?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's nothing else beyond this. You've wandered here more than once before on your visits to the Station of Awakening, but I let that slide. The edges of sleep and death touch and one can't help the occasional crossover. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Memories suddenly flash before his eyes. "Wait, death?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure nods. "The natural end for those whose hearts and bodies perish together. However, I can stop a heart from officially crossing over and let them linger here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My heart and body perished? Does that mean?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're hanging here by a thread. I'm the only thing keeping you here," The figure replies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What about my friends?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They're gone and resting peacefully in Kingdom Hearts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora's breath quickens, and desperately he shouts, "I'm getting out then! I'm going to bring my friends back." He summons his keyblade and turns his back on Lampiad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And how do you expect to do that? You cannot leave this place unless I wish it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then send me back!" Sora cries out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad smiles, "You don't know who I truly am. Do you? Even when I have been with you all these years." Sora gives the being a blank look, and Lampiad continues. "I am The Light. The Creator of all worlds. I am the Being that created Kingdom Hearts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora takes a step back, and now that he's been told, he can feel the power emanating from them. "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been inside you since you were born, Sora, and have helped you along the way. Each time you crossed into the Station of Awakening, whose voice did you think you were hearing?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I—I don't understand," Sora stammers. His keyblade disappears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I gifted you with the power of Kingdom Hearts, Sora. The power of Kingdom Hearts has been inside you all along. It is the reason you can wield the keyblade, and it is the reason why your heart has been able to do extraordinary marvels. Did you really believe it was normal for a body to contain more than one heart, let alone three others? Only Kingdom Hearts has that strength. Not to mention your ability to connect hearts across different worlds, grant them the ability to use a keyblade without a proper ceremony, reach out to Realm of Light, open up the gates between worlds just by letting your heart be your guiding key? That was all me, Sora. I granted you that gift."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora is left speechless for a long moment. He looks to the ground and sees clouds rolling underneath him. "Why me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kingdom Hearts is a place of immense power. It is where hearts and worlds are born, and it is where they go when they perish. I created Kingdom Hearts to create life. However, my price for creating such power is that I shall be immortal and can only live in the Realm of Light, jumping from body to body for all eternity. I chose you when you were born, sensing that great tales were to follow in your wake."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So everything...all my power...comes from you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad smiles. "Do not worry, Sora. All light comes from me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then...why are you keeping me here? Why not let me enter Kingdom Hearts with my friends?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need your help Sora. Xehanort plans to summon Kingdom Hearts to the Realm of Light by mimicking the power of light and darkness with his X-blade. You cannot let him harness the power of all hearts and life. The balance must be brought. I need you to return and put a stop to him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So you have the power to restore my body and heart back to the Realm of Light?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What about my friends? Can you pull them out?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad is silent for a moment, but then finally, "I can."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bring them back then."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is not so easy. In the end, you will have to use your connection to your friends to pull them out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora gasps out in shock as he realizes, "You mean the power of waking?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad nods. "Sora. The power of waking is a power that has only been known to pull a heart from the Realm of Darkness, not from Kingdom Hearts itself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So it can't be done?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It can, but it will cost you. If I help you use the power of waking hearts who have already crossed into Kingdom Hearts, then a price must be paid to set balance to the universe. You and I will no longer be one; I shall cut the ties that bind my being to your body. That will have a multitude of repercussions.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora feels a desperation course through him. All he hears is that there is a second chance, "Whatever it is, I'll take it if it means my friends are alive and I can defeat Xehanort."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I would not be so quick to make a hasty judgment, Sora. My departure means you will no longer be tied to your powers. You will lose your connection to the keyblade." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora ponders this and asks, "Without the keyblade, how will I defeat Xehanort?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad hums in thought. They cross their arms and look into the distance. Sora finds the expression on his face bizarre. It's strange to look upon his own face as the Creator of all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad uncrosses their arms and says, "I can grant you permission to use my powers until the end of your battle, but that will also require another form of compensation." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You will need to say goodbye to your friends."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You mean, I'll die?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, but you will be separated from them. Yes, I think that is a balanced trade."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will I be able to see them again?" Sora asks softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do not know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora thins his lips, but paying no further thought, he nods. "I accept."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad smiles. They step closer to Sora and place a hand on his shoulder, "It was an honor to be within you, Sora. I look forward to seeing you in Kingdom Hearts when your time comes. Now, when you and your friends return, I can use some of my power to manipulate the woven time but only for a few minutes, enough to get you and your friends a fighting chance. Do not waste it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I won't."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then...goodbye, Sora."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora nods, summoning his keyblade again. He feels the weight of it in his hands, suddenly consumed by an aching sadness. He looks back at the figure, "Thank you, Lampiad, for being my friend through all this time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad tilts their head in confusion and then says, "Hmm. I've never had more than </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lampiad steps back and shifts into a ball of light before returning to Sora's heart.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sora and his friends manage to defeat Xehanort and restore the hearts of those who had previously been lost. It feels too perfect to be sitting here on Destiny Islands. Ven, Roxas, Isa, and Lea are playing frisbee on the beach. Terra and Aqua sit at the pier, holding hands. Xion and Namine are at the shore, bent over collecting seashells. Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Hayner, Pence, and Olette are making sandcastles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora sits upon his perch on the paopu fruit tree, looking over his shoulder, observing them. He's never going to see them again...but they're safe, and everyone is finally together. They will be fine without him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Quickly, Sora. Your time is almost up. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He hears Lampiad's voice clearly. He takes a shaky breath and then turns his gaze to his lap. His hands twist together nervously, and part of him wants to summon the keyblade one last time, but he can already feel its power fading. He doesn't even know if he'll be able to call it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, Sora," Kairi teases beside him. "Why did you bring us up here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora looks up at her and then at Riku on her left side. He nearly chokes, but he does his best to hold it together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Our hearts will always be connected, right?" Sora asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kairi frowns, and Riku moves to stand in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course, Sora," Riku speaks. His hands come to rest over his thighs as he looks up at him. Kairi mutters in agreement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora hangs his head again, fighting back the tears. He looks back at them. His hands come up to rest on top of Riku's and Kairi's hands. There's so much he wants to tell them, but he doesn't know where to begin. He wants to tell Kairi that he hopes she takes up Leon's offer and returns to Radiant Garden to restore the world. She would be great at it. She's grown so much in her training, and Sora is so proud of her. She's not the same fourteen-year-old girl who needed someone to come rescue her. She's developing into a remarkable young woman with a strong heart and determination to fulfill her role as a Guardian of Light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Riku...He knows exactly what he wants to tell Riku, but it would be so cruel for </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be his parting goodbye. So he keeps it trapped inside his heart. If he lets it out, he knows that Riku will travel across every world looking for him. And Sora, he doesn't want that. Riku shouldn't always be the one to come save him. Riku's done it too many times before. When he protected him from the Organization, helped restore his heart, pulled him from the darkness, stood in front of him to protect him from a wave of incoming heartless. Riku has always put Sora first. Riku deserves his rest. Sora can manage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clutches both their hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good," Sora forces a smile. "I'll always find my way back to you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is everything okay?" Kairi asks perceptively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora nods. He motions for Riku to step aside as he jumps off the tree. Kairi follows suit. "C'mon, let's get some ice cream before Roxas and Lea finish it all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two nod and start to walk down the bridge. Sora looks at their retreating backs and down at his friends, who are still caught up in their own world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A heavy sigh leaves his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm ready," he speaks to the wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks out into the sunset as his body fades from his homeworld. The last thing he hears is his name shouted from someone's lips. </span><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Lost City Pt. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sora wakes up on a submarine with no keyblade or powers. He does his best to navigate the world alone while his friends begin to formulate a plan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Sora awakens, he's woken up to a harsh nudge to his legs. He groans and tries to curl into a ball to resume sleeping, but then he gets an even more vicious kick to his shin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey! No sleeping on the job!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? I'm up! I'm up!" Sora yelps and springs immediately into a sitting position. If Donald is upset because he fell asleep at the gummi ship console again, he's going to...Sora halts for a brief moment. He's not on a gummi ship, and that's not Donald.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sees a young girl of sixteen with thick curly hair wearing baggy blue overalls leaning over him. She has her hands on her hips and a perfectly drawn scowl. "Well?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora pushes up from the metal floor he was sleeping on and stands. He scans the area. The walls and floor are covered in thick metal, and along the hallway, he seems some pipes rattle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where are we?" He asks the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, that's not the right answer. Her scowl deepens, and she groans, but at least, the hands fall from the hips. "Were you out drinking with Vinny and Cookie last night?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolls her eyes. "Cookie and his bathtub moonshine. I told him not to bring it onboard...out there boozing up my station."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora is more than confused. The girl starts mumbling some more under her breath, and as she does, Sora spots several men walking by them in the hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, what's your name?" She asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sora!" He greets warmly. That's something he can answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drops the scowl and then smirks, "Well, Sora. I'm Audrey. Head of the Engineering Division on this expedition. You should go to your post and do your job." She turns on the heel of her boot and strides down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora stands stupidly in place for a moment but then bustles into action. He follows after her, "I don't know where my post is?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Man. Is Cookie's moonshine that strong?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora shrugs, not sure what cookies have anything to do with this. And what's moonshine anyway? He opens his mouth to tell her that he's not from here, but then Donald's words pull at his conscience. World order. Right. With that thought, Sora suddenly feels his spirits fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donald...Goofy...Kairi...Riku…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All his friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's not going to see them again. He's trapped here in this world with no gummi ship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, are you okay?" Audrey asks him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry," Sora replies. He bites his lower lip and decides to say, "I don't really know what I'm doing here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah," she says in understanding. "The Commander did say he hired a few fresh military recruits. Follow me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora nods and matches pace with the small girl. She leads him to a large room where all the pipes seem to gather. She walks over to a valve and examines the pressure system before rotating the valve a fraction to the left. The arrow on the pressure system drops, and she moves to another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Commander put together a team to search for the Lost City of Atlantis. If you ask me, it feels like a longshot, but I'm getting paid whether we find it or not. He's going to hold a meeting later today to go over the details with the expeditionary guide. It's only for the heads of each department, but I can pull some strings and bring you along."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That sounds great!" Sora exclaims. It will help him get a better read on this world...and maybe a way out. Perhaps, he can find a way off this world without a gummi ship. It's been done before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, so Sora, I have to go check on the other workers. Think you can stay here and monitor the pressure system on the boilers?" When Sora gives her a blank look, she heaves an exasperated sigh, "See this pressure gauge? If it gets too red, loosen this valve here and then tighten it again when the arrows get too green."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora nods and salutes the young girl. Audrey snorts and then punches him playfully on the arm. Sora thinks she doesn't mean to hit him that hard, but it's difficult to tell as the hallway fills with her laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora keeps a close eye on the pressure system, just like Audrey told him. He doesn't know anything about mechanics or engineering, but the task seems simple enough. Other workers occasionally come into the room and mess with different valves and buttons along the wall or on other pipes. However, they don't stay long enough for Sora to gather information about where he's at. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All he knows is that he's been transported in the middle of an expedition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stays at his post for over thirty minutes. His eyes begin to droop from exhaustion, but then Audrey comes in at that moment and tells him to follow her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They climb a set of stairs, and before they get to the very top, she stops him with a firm hand on his shoulder, "Seriously, don't say anything. Especially to the commander? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Entiendes?</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They step onto the deck, and Sora's mouth falls open. Behind the thick orange glass, Sora sees a deep, endless dark ocean. He would have never thought they would be on a submarine; the size of this whole place is enormous. He stupidly stands in the center of the deck, and Audrey gives him a shove toward a rail. He stands next to her and a tall man with a thick mustache and a match between his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I want you to give Mr. Thatch your undivided attention," a tall, older muscular man says to the team. Sora looks around at all the different people. Audrey rises to her tippy-toes and whispers to him the names of all the Chiefs in charge of the expedition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora's eyes fall to a lanky man with glasses. He's shaking where he stands in front of the crew. "Good afternoon. Can everyone hear me, okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's met with silence and exasperated looks. Sora feels terrible for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. How 'bout some slides? The...The first slide is a depiction of a creature. A creature so frightening that sailors were said to be driven mad by the mere sight of it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A picture comes up on his projector, and Sora sees a slide of Mr. Thatch wearing swimwear and floaties. The crew laughs, and Sora can't help but chuckle as well. He can hear the crew mutter a few expletives and unkind remarks, but Sora keeps his eyes on the lead expeditionary. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After fumbling through several slides, the man adjusts his glasses and finally says, "Okay. This is an illustration of the Leviathan, the creature guarding the entrance to Atlantis. It's a mythical sea serpent. He's described in The Book of Job. The...The Bible says, 'Out of his mouth go burning lights, sparks of fire shoot out.' But more likely, it's a carving or a sculpture to frighten the superstitious."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora scrutinizes the slide—that's no ordinary monster. Sora can see the heartless symbol imprinted on its head. Without meaning to, he says, "That's not a sculpture; it's a heartless."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crew goes silent and looks at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Audrey elbows him harshly in the ribs, and Sora grunts in pain. Right, he wasn't supposed to talk. But it's too late; the commander is already eyeing him and marching his way. "Who are you?" The commander asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora stands tall; he's faced scarier people than him. "Sora."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, Sora. What's a heartless?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora blinks and thinks best on how to put this, "It's a monster."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Thatch laughs, "It's not. I'm sure we will find a ruin of it if we keep diving."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The commander agrees and moves away from Sora. "So, we find this masterpiece. Then what?" Commander asks, moving to lean against a rail beside a menacing woman with blonde hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora observes her as he plays with a gun, spinning it in boredom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Thatch continues to lead the presentation. "According to the journal, the path to Atlantis will take us down a tunnel at the bottom of the ocean, and we'll come up a curve into an air pocket right here, where we'll find the remnants of an ancient highway that will lead us to Atlantis." He draws a diagram on the projector. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Cartographer, linguist, plumber. Hard to believe he's still single," Helga snorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A random crew member calls for the commander, so the man dismisses them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora is quickly dragged away by Audrey. "Ah, sorry!" Sora shouts when she pushes him down the stairs. "Sorry, I know you said no talking."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're lucky; he didn't ask who brought you up there," She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora mutters another apology and gives her his best puppy-dog look. Her arms fall to her sides, and she tells him to follow him back to the boiler room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's not even a minute later, where the entire submarine gets rocked. Sora and Audrey fall to their feet. The hallway gets filled with a red light and a warning bell. Audrey quickly gets to her feet and starts dashing down the hall, and Sora follows her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Out of my way!" She shoves a group of crewmen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She goes down a set of stairs, and both their eyes open wide as they see a flood of water filling up a hall and a group of men quickly darting out of it. Audrey sprints to the door and shuts it, trapping a man inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing?!" Sora shrieks. He goes toward the valve to help the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shoves him to the ground. "Trying to make sure we save as many lives!" She yells back. Sora wants to retort, but he can already feel water sagging his pants. As he stands, the water already reaches his ankles—the place is flooding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire submarine moves on red alert, trying to get to safety. Audrey jumps from place to place, and Sora realizes he's in her way. He leaves her and returns on deck. War submarines are launched, and they shoot at the largest heartless. It's a black shaped lobster with incredible strength. Sora watches through the orange glass helplessly as the heartless reaches out and, with its pincers, breaks apart the war subs. When they start to launch torpedoes at the monster, it uses lightning magic that travels several yards through the ocean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora bends at the knees and throws his right arm behind to summon his keyblade—except it doesn't come. Sora stands petrified in the middle of all the commotion. He brings his hand close to his chest, examining it. He can't even feel the power of light at his fingertips. It's gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Move it!" Helga shouts at him, shoving him forward and preventing him from getting lost in his thoughts. From his pocket, his gummi phone falls below him. His phone! He can call his friends! As he bends down to get it, Helga pushes him forward again, and a crewmember bumps into it. The device tumbles into the flooding sub below. No…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helga grabs him by the arm when he refuses to budge and drags him forward. Sora gets his bearings again as the submarine rocks, and they both almost fall into the water below them. Sora runs into Audrey and the rest of the Chiefs of the expedition. They load into a smaller sub and buckle up. Sora ends up in between Mr. Thatch and Audrey. The Commander and Helga expertly swim them out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where to, Mr. Thatch?" The commander shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're looking for a big crevice of some kind."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There! Up ahead!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The submarine rocks as the heartless chases them deeper into the ocean. Sora holds tight to the bottom of his seat and watches through the glass in front; lightning pierces through the water. Smaller submarines get hit and explode. Sora's breath catches at each fallen sub. So many people…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few moments of diving deeper, they finally manage to escape the heartless and emerge in a large cave with fallen ruins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The top hatch pulls open, and Sora crawls out with the others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora stands on the rocky shore as military men begin to unload and take inventory of what remains. Sora wants to shout at them. They just lost their crew? Do they feel nothing? But then, Sora sees the commander and another large man named Sweet head to the edge of where some demolished stairs meet water. He can see the commander sadly lighting a candle and placing it inside a military hat. Sora joins them, and the remaining crew meets them there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sweet gently places the hat and candle into the water. It floats deeper into the cave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Seven hours ago, we started this expedition with 200 of the finest men and women I've ever known. We're all that's left. I won't sugar-coat it; we have a crisis on our hands. But we've been up this particular creek before, and we've always come through, paddle or no paddle. I see no reason to change that policy now. From here on in, everyone pulls double duty. Everyone drives; everyone works. Looks like all our chances for survival rests with you, Mr. Thatch. You and that little book."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone's eyes fall to Mr. Thatch. Sora watches him. His heart aches, knowing the exact pressure he is under—to have everyone look to you to save the day—it's crushing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora takes a shaky breath as he watches the crew begin to move and climb into the vehicles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that he's paying attention, he can see everyone's faces are long, and their eyes are puffy from unshed tears. If so many people died in such a short time, Sora doesn't even want to think of what other dangers lie ahead in this world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>| ♡ ~~ ♡ ~~ ♡|</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Riku stands before Yen Sid, eyes brimmed in red and dark circles. He hasn't been able to sleep since last night. Each time he closes his eyes, the image replays in his head. A magnificent white light had filled the play island, and when Riku turned to stare, his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach to realize that Sora was in the center of it. He had run toward his friend as fast as he could. A light expelled from Sora's chest and flew into the sky, and Sora started falling back toward the edge of the island. Riku reached out to catch him, but when his hands touched his body, it had shattered into smaller pieces of light. Sora had vanished, and all Riku could do was repeatedly scream his name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had searched the entire world for Sora that night and couldn't find any sign of him. They reached out to the Restoration of Committee asking if they had seen any sign of him—but of course—there's nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The King had told him they would go to Yen Sid early in the morning to reconvene and see if the wizard knew anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, Riku stands with the Guardians of Light along with Donald and Goofy in the tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The King recounts the story to Yen Sid about the light and Sora's disappearance, and the wizard hums in thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was afraid this would happen," Yen Sid finally speaks.    </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean?" Riku asks, losing patience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All of you had crossed into the Kingdom Hearts, and Sora pulled you out, restoring both your bodies and hearts. Did any of you ask how he accomplished such an impossible feat?" Yen Sid questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's met with silence. After the battle, they had traveled to other worlds quickly in passing to check on their status. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had flown to Radiant Garden, where Leon had asked if Kairi would return to her homeworld. They checked in with the science team and had Namine return to their midst. It was only a day and a half after the battle, where they all met together on Destiny Islands for an official celebration. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wizard hums again. "I believe Sora might have paid a price to return all of you into the Realm of Light."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku's breath stutters to a halt. He's afraid to ask what Yen Sid means, but then, Goofy is the one to speak. "You mean... he's…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sora perished so all of you could live."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" Riku shouts. "He's not dead."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone turns to look at him. "He's not. Sora wouldn't do something like that without telling us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kairi stands next to him, and she gives him a solemn look. "Maybe that's what he was trying to tell us…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Riku chokes out. He stands taller. "He's out there. I know he is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Riku," The King mutters sadly. Mickey looks at Yen Sid, "Is there a chance he could be alive?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do not know," Yen Sid replies. "Restoring hearts that have come to rest inside Kingdom Hearts has never been done before, but the price of it could not have been a light one."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So there's a chance he might be out there?" Riku asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yen Sid lowers his eyes for a moment and then addresses the group, "I do not wish to give false hope."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We'll put together a search team," The King says. "Donald, Goofy you two can—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku sighs. The others are tired. "No," Riku states. "I'll go." He looks to Donald and Goofy. "Both of you have helped Sora so much on his journey, and I am grateful for that. But, you have families and friends waiting for you in your homeworld. And King Mickey, you have a world to rule over. You can't always be out helping here." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks to the others. "All of you deserve your rest. I'll go out and search for Sora. I've done it before."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll go too!" Kairi announces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku meets her eyes. They're blazing fierce, and he can sense a 'no, have your rest' is not going to cut it with her. "Sora will kill me if anything happens to you," he decides to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I battled alongside you in the graveyard, didn't I?" She places her hands on her hips and looks over to Lea. "I've been training with him for months and have beaten him more times than I can count—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"—Hey now, I wouldn't call it many times!" Lea exclaims. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"—I'm just as capable of looking. Let me help you, Riku. You don't have to do everything alone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku swallows. He really doesn't want to put her in harm's way, but she's right. She has come a long way. Finally, he nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku addresses the others, "We'll search for him and bring him back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>| ♡ ~~ ♡ ~~ ♡ |</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sora travels with the crew for two weeks, and he can't help but feel utterly useless. Yes, he helps by driving the vehicles when others get tired and lugs the crates, but he can't do anything in the grand scheme. Audrey helps repair the cars when they get broken down. Vinny and Mole clear paths for them. Sweet takes care of the health of the crew. Milo even translates his strange book to guide them through the caves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Occasionally, heartless cross their path—large ones. Some are heartless that Sora has never encountered before. Each time they run into one, Sora forgets about the price he paid and tries to summon his keyblade. Thankfully, these heartless are content with looming alone in the dark, so as long as they take a different path, the heartless do not follow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora is only able to keep it together because of the crew. He enjoys talking with them and sharing stories; Mrs. Packard, an elderly woman, is his favorite. She doesn't stop talking and is filled with so many stories about her life and the crew that sometimes Sora has to remind himself that he needs to end the conversation to get some sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ends up bonding with Mr. Thatch, who Sora learns is named Milo. He doesn't understand why the others are so mean to him and keep him isolated from the group. He's never done anything to them. Yes, he's a little odd, and Sora can't understand half the things he says, but he's never cruel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We should go over and have dinner with them," Sora says to Milo as they sit together by his tent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo is hunched over his book and a map, outlining their journey for the next day. Usually, he would have a flashlight in his mouth, but tonight he doesn't need one as they had stopped at a cafe with a strange phosphorus luminescence illuminating from the top. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nah," Milo waves him off. "You can go join them. They don't want me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, it's important to socialize. Haven't you just hung out with buddies?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo looks up at him. "I don't really have a lot of friends. I used to give seminars to my stuffed animals."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora looks sadly at him and, for a moment, doesn't know what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I bet where you come from, you have a lot of friends," Milo continues. "You got the Commander and Lieutenant to like ya. I can't even get Mole to like me...and I'm no good at small-talk." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora looks over his shoulder to the group of friends he has made. They are sitting in a circle by a fire while they wait for Cookie to finish dinner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's cause I have practice," Sora finally replies. "You're not going to get better at making friends if you don't practice."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You need practice for that?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course! I've traveled a lot, and the more I run into new people, the easier it is to talk to them. C'mon, I promise it won't be that bad!" Sora stands to his feet and wraps two hands around Milo's arm. He tugs him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo groans but ends up grabbing his book and following Sora to the small group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's unfortunate that when they sit down, someone stuffs a whoopee cushion under Milo's butt. However, that's maybe the best way to join this crowd of misfits. They apologize to Milo since it's obviously Mole's doing but easily slip into conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone starts talking about how they got into their chosen fields, and Sora listens attentively to their stories. However, when they get to him, Sora stiffens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What about you, Sora?" Audrey questions. "They can't be paying a military recruit much for a job like this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora stares at the nearly empty tray on his lap. Fortunately, he's been the only one to actually enjoy Cookie's cooking. "My friends and I fought in a war." Everyone stops what they're doing and gives him their full attention. As far as Sora's gathered, many of the military recruits on this expedition are here because they didn't want to join the Great War that's happening in this world. "...and I had to leave."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why?" Audrey asks curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora's silent for a long time, and then Sweet takes over, "He doesn't have to tell us if he's not comfortable. C'mon, everyone, let's go to bed." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group cleans up and puts out the fire. Everyone goes into their respective tents and calls it a night. Sora lays alone in his tent, staring up at the green glowing orb up above. It's been two weeks. He wonders what his friends are doing. Do they think he's dead? Are they out looking for him? He wants to get back to them, but he doesn't have a means. The technology in this world seems advanced, but it has its limits. Sora hopes that they really find Atlantis because the more Milo talks about it, the more he starts to build hope that it's his ticket out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora recalls when Milo had shown him the book and told him about a power source called the Heart of Atlantis. If Milo's theory is right, it's actually the heart of the world, and if the people of Atlantis had learned to use it, maybe Sora can use it to get out of here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes begin to drift shut for a moment or two when suddenly Milo's screams wake him. He sits up so suddenly, he nearly knocks over his tent. His eyes track the campsite, and he sees a swarm of tiny firefly heartless light the entire place on fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora is quick to put back on his shoes and jacket and help the crew try to put out the fire with the water they have stored. If he only had his keyblade...he would be able to cast water on all of this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The commander wakes up, and next, everyone is loading everything into the vans as fast as they can. The tents are already consumed by the flames, and it's best to save whatever they can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They jump into the vehicles, but the heartless come after them. The firefly heartless light the gas tank of one of the cars, and the explosion rattles the entire bridge. Without the bridge, all the vehicles and the drill plummet into the cave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora holds onto Milo as they drop and does his best to break his fall. Together they land by some rocks, and it's only luck that they didn't fall one foot to the right to the jagged, pointy edges. Sora groans beside Milo and rubs at his ankle. He can feel that it's broken. This would be the moment he would have muttered a cure spell or reached for a potion, but he doesn't have any of those things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubs at it painfully as he tries to nudge Milo awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he spots a blue light near them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora's breath catches in his throat. Heartless? He shakes Milo even harder. He needs to get them to safety. Where are the others?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo wakes up with a grunt, and his hand falls to his chest where he's bleeding. Sora can hold them off. However, as they approach, Sora sees they aren't heartless at all?. They're people. Gigantic masks that cover their body near them. They carry spears, so Sora still doesn't let his guard down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of them approaches them, and neither Milo nor Sora has the strength to move. The figure removes its mask, revealing a woman with white hair and blue markings across her face. Sora can see that blue light emanating from them comes from the crystal hanging from her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman heals Milo first with the touch of her crystal and a hand to his chest. Then she moves to him. When she lays her hand on his ankle, Sora feels it. This is light magic. Before Sora can ask, the figures start to run. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crew's drill approaches them, but Sora starts to chase after the woman. She could be the key to getting them out. Milo is fast on his tail, jumping and running after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, after weeks of being trapped in dark caves, they come to light, and Sora stops at the edge. The rest of the crew is fast to join, and they all stand dumbfounded at the sight of a city in the middle of a waterfall. It's a gorgeous view, and for a moment, Sora forgets the heartache deep in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figures from before, ambush them. But Milo is quick to translate and let them know they are friends. Soon, they are escorted to the city to meet the world's King. Sora feels a bit lighter in his step as he walks through the city. He feels confident he's going to return home. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
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</p><p>
  <span>Unknown to Sora, a shadow looms at the edge of the city, watching everything with a close eye. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The story is going to move slowly through the romance, but it would be great if I could get a comment.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a review 🥺</p><p>Follow me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/paopufruit178">paopufruit178</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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